Plants to 5 cm. Stem leaves erect-appressed, somewhat contorted and recurved when dry, wide-spreading to recurved-squarrose when moist, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 1.4--2 mm, bluntly acute, margins sharply serrate near apex; costa prominent, usually excurrent or ending obscurely in tip, with distal 1/2 of abaxial side covered with papillose-quadrate cells; distal laminal cells 4--9 µm wide with 2--4 clavate papillae, very thick-walled, basal laminal cells elongate-rectangular to short-rectangular; gemmae not present. Sexual condition dioicous. Sporophytes not known in North America.

Restricted to calcareous rocks; alpine and subalpine regions; B.C.; Central America (Guatemala).

Zygodon gracilis is distinguished from other species of the genus in North America by squarrose-recurved leaves; absence of gemmae; bluntly acute leaves; and very thick-walled distal leaf cells.